by Ella Goode
“I’ve got Khloe now.” I flick on my computer and pull up the security feeds from Khloe’s place. I haven’t installed any cameras inside yet, but I’ll be doing that tonight. “I can’t be making house calls to single women. It wouldn’t look right.”
“I thought the motto of the police is to protect and serve,” Tina complains.
“It is, and I will be doing that by taking your statement and investigating this issue.”
“Mae’s niece moved here two days ago.” Tina’s a bulldog. Once she digs in, it’s hard for her to let go. “How can you be so sure about her?”
“I just am.” There’s no explanation for the sun existing. It just does, right? It’s a star in our galaxy and whether it came about from a giant gas explosion in space or some other source it’s there.
“I don’t want to come out to the station. I’ve got errands to run. I was gonna run into Harrisville and get my hair done.”
“Then stop by when you get back.” There’s no activity outside of Khloe’s place. The lack of eyes inside is bothering me. I might have to install the cameras today rather than waiting for tonight.
“You’re really not going to come out to people’s houses anymore?”
Khloe’s had a bad past. It wouldn’t be right for me to place any doubts in her mind or put her in a situation where she would have to wonder what I’m doing. ”Don’t see why it’s such a trouble for you coming into the station.”
“Fine. Fine. I’m coming,” Tina finally concedes. “It’s not like I have anything more to tell you than what I said last night.”
“I just want to jog your memory and maybe see if we can shake something loose. Want my citizens to be safe.”
“I know, Chief, that’s why you hooking up with Mae’s niece is so tragic. We all had a little hope for you.” She sniffs in my ear.
“There are plenty more men out there,” I reassure her. “Better than me.” Not that Khloe’s going to find out. I’m the end of her road.
“I wish that were true,” Tina laments before hanging up.
As soon as the call is terminated, Bonnie appears in my doorway with the coffee in hand. “Do you have any idea who it was sneaking around Tina’s place?”
“Someone with a size ten shoe is all I know.”
“Carl Mengers is a short man.” Bonnie offers up her hated neighbor.
“He’s also seventy and looks like his bag of bones is about to fall apart whenever I see him shambling by.”
She sticks her chin in the air. “I’m just saying he’s short and has small feet.”
“Noted. I’ll put him on the suspect list.”
That placates her. By noon, I tick off the last of Tina’s neighbors. No one has seen anything, and Tina declares she hasn’t seen anyone new.
“That’s good news, right?” she asks, clutching her bag tightly between her fingers.
Nah, it only means it’s someone from town. “Nothing to be concerned about,” I tell her, “but I’d sleep better if you stay with your brother.”
“I’d sleep better if you were on my couch,” she parries.
“I don’t think Khloe and I would both fit there.”
Tina throws her head back in frustration. “I love Kale, but he’s impossible to live with. You know he never talks.”
“I guess he says shit with his art.”
“I guess.” She gets to her feet with a huff. For all her bluster, though, she’s proud of Kale. We all are. He’s probably our most famous resident, but his most infamous trait is that he’s a recluse. He doesn’t come to town. He doesn’t socialize with anyone. He has a never-ending stream of packages delivered that even Tina doesn’t know about, but he’s big and he’s got a forge out there hot enough to burn a man to ashes. She’ll be safe with him.
“Bonnie, I’m heading over to Khloe’s for lunch. You need anything?”
“I’m good, Chief.”
It takes Khloe a good minute to answer the door.
“You on the shitter?” I ask, stepping by her.
“No. I was working.” She peers over my shoulder at the box of equipment I carry in. “What is all that stuff?”
“Security for your place.”
“I have locks,” she says.
I set the box on the front counter next to the cash register. “Not good enough. There’s some pervert peeking in windows and since I can’t be here twenty-four seven, I’m putting cameras up.”
“No way.” Khloe makes a big x with her arms. “I don’t want cameras on my house.”
I pluck one out of the box and give her a quick, silencing kiss before crossing the room to the front door.
“Hey, listen to me. I’ll get an outdoor alarm or something, but I don’t want cameras in here.”
I turn to face her. “You want to stay at my place?”
Her brows crash together. “What does that have to do with you putting cameras up here?”
“Because it’s either cameras in your house or staying at my place.” I shrug. “Either one is good for me.”
16
Khloe
“I said I’d stay with you.” I bite the inside of my lip, trying to hide my expression. This is the only way to get him to stop putting up the cameras all over my place. He is acting like a nut. So, the easiest thing to do is to agree to moving in with him.
Of course I’m not really going to move in with him. That would be crazy. I’m stalling. “Wait. Is Tina okay?” I get that Dane can be protective and overbearing, but this moving in thing is taking it to a whole new level. It makes me think something happened today. That he found something out that caused him to worry.
“She’s fine.” He drops a kiss on my mouth as he gets ready to head back to work. I caved and made him lunch too. I had to. I couldn't send him back to work hungry. I was already making myself something, so it made sense to make him a sandwich too. That’s what I tell myself anyway.
“Wait.” I push on his chest. “You hiding something?”
“No.”
I arch one of my eyebrows as I glare up at him. “I think you are. Why else would you bring these cameras here?” I point to the boxes. “Is there a crazy man stalking women around here or something? Not counting you, of course.”
“Because I only stalk one woman.” He smirks.
“Better be only me,” pops out of my mouth before I can stop it. He is way too good at this. I’d never want to be on the other side of an interrogation table from him. He can clearly get anything out of you. He gives my ass a squeeze.
“Pack a bag. I’ll be back around five.” He leans down, giving me another kiss. I find I’m the one trying to deepen it this time. He growls into my mouth before pulling away. “Make it four,” he says before stomping out the front door. I watch him go because well, he’s got a killer ass. No wonder all the women around town want him.
It’s not going to be a hardship spending another night with him. I slept like the dead with him. It might have been the best sleep of my life. So maybe this staying with him is really in my favor and not because he’s ordering me to do it. A girl needs her beauty sleep.
I glance next door to Connie’s place. I haven't seen her around since that night at the diner. She had made it clear she wanted me to stay away from Dane. That wasn't happening even if I wanted to. Truth is I don’t want to. Dane may drive me crazy, but I’m starting to think it’s something I need. I put up a wall and he bulldozes right through it.
I’ve never had someone like that in my life. He fights for me. I’m used to people fighting against me. It’s different and I’m not yet willing to admit how much I enjoy it. So I’ll continue acting as though he’s putting me out and being a pain in my butt. I can tell he enjoys me giving him a hard time.
I lock my door and return to organizing my office. When I hear a knock on my door twenty minutes later, I figure it’s Dane. I don’t know anyone else around here. The last thing I expect to see is Tina and Connie standing on the other side of my door. That’s not the k
icker though. Derrick, my ex, is standing there too.
What. The. Hell.
“You’re dating this douche when you have Dane?” Connie asks.
“I’m not dating him.” I pull the door open more. I’m not doing anything with Derrick. I never had, to be honest. He made me face who my mother was. I always tried to make excuses for her behavior, but this put a blinding light on who she really is.
“Want me to call the cops on him?” Tina suggests. She runs her eyes up and down Derrick. He’s not bad looking. More of the clean, boy next door look. Pretty boy, I think people call it. He is nothing like Dane. Boy or pretty could never be in the same sentence as Dane. He is every inch a rugged man.
“No,” I rush to say. That is the last thing I need, for Dane to show up and see him here. I can’t even imagine what would happen. I think he might have a jealous side.
“Too late.” Connie gives me a small smile. Crap. I know I only have a limited amount of time before Dane gets here. I let out a groan. “What? I have never seen him before, and everyone is whispering about someone lurking outside of Tina’s place.”
“You peeping on me?” Tina turns to glare at Derrick.
“I have no idea what any of you are talking about.” Derrick tries to step around the ladies and let himself inside, but they block him. “I’m her fiancé.”
“I wouldn't keep saying that if I was you,” Connie warns him. I don’t think I’m going to get anyone to move along. I am thankful that the girls are trying to block Derrick from getting near me. I didn't think either of them liked me. If anything it might be in their favor if Dane showed up here and I was with Derrick. But they aren't having any of that.
“I’m actually leaving.” I grab my purse that’s next to the door. I step out, locking the door behind me.
“We need to talk,” Derrick pushes.
“I have nothing to say to you. You slept with my mom.”
“You slept with her mom!” both the girls shout. Derrick’s face turns red with embarrassment.
“Khloe. That is a private family matter.” He runs his hands through his short blond wavy hair.
“Nothing is private here. Welcome to Smithville,” Tina informs him. I step around everyone. Derrick tries to grab my arm, but I jump away before he can at the same time Connie smacks his arm.
“We don’t just grab women around here,” she lets him know. I keep to myself that Dane does a lot of grabbing.
“Where are you going?” Derrick asks, ignoring Connie.
“I think I’m saving your life,” I inform him as I head toward my car. To my surprise, Connie and Tina are following me, then getting into my car with me. What are they doing? I’m not sure why they even showed up at my door to begin with. I’m guessing it's about Dane.
“Are you guys going to kill me?” I tease as I start the car. I can hear Derrick shouting from outside the car but can’t make out what he’s saying. I could care less.
“Depends,” Connie says, putting on her seatbelt.
Tina leans up from the backseat. “Are you going to hurt Dane?”
I turn my head to look at both of them, surprised by the question. I put the car into reverse, pulling out of my driveway.
“Is everyone in this town crazy?” I ask my own question.
“Yes,” they both say.
“Then yeah. The chances of me hurting Dane are high. Most of the time I want to strangle him.”
“He may be big and handsome,” Tina says.
“You forgot to mention that fine ass of his,” Connie cuts in. They both nod in agreement.
“Like I was saying. He might look big and bad, but he’s a softie on the inside. A real good man and we don’t want to see him get hurt.” Tina adds.
That was sweet of them. I get it. Everyone in this town cares for each other. But what happens if Dane breaks my heart? He would have a whole town to comfort him. As for me, I’d just be alone again.
17
Dane
“The women just arrived at your house, Chief,” Bonnie informs me as I read over the shoe sales reports from the local retailers.
Women? My brow furrows at the plural version of the word woman. There should be only one of them there. There are only a handful of size ten wearing men in town who have bought shoes in the last six months and they’re all getting a visit from me today, but not before I puzzle this one out. “Did my mom drive out?”
A smile breaks across Bonnie’s face as wide as the ocean. “It is not your mom.”
“And you’re not going to tell me, are you?” I toss my pen down.
“It would ruin the surprise.” With that gleeful statement, Bonnie returns to her desk.
I glance at the clock. If I leave now, I can make a visit to all of these men and figure out who was peeping in Tina’s window before four. I pick up the phone, but my mom calls.
“Darling! I heard that Mae’s niece is out at your place. I’m going to get you groceries because I know you won’t have enough to eat. You eat like a bachelor.”
“I am a bachelor, Mom.”
“But you can’t act like one if you’re going to try to convince that sweet girl to marry you. You have to show off your good qualities!”
“I thought you always said I was the best catch in the county.”
“Of course, but this Khloe is from the big city. The men are different there.”
“Sounds fake to me.”
“Dane.”
“I’m kidding, Ma. I will buy groceries on my way home.”
“No. No. You won’t know what to buy for a woman. Leave it to me.” She hangs up before I can respond. I guess there’s nothing wrong with her buying groceries or trying to make me look good to Khloe.
I grab my list and start dialing again, only to be interrupted by Bonnie’s voice filtering through the intercom.
“Chief, there’s an out of towner here saying that his fiancée got kidnapped.”
I throw down my pen. At this rate, it’ll be midnight before I get home. In the front I find a country club boy standing impatiently at the receiving counter. He’s banging his finger impatiently on the countertop. “I need to make a report.”
“And here’s the form.” Bonnie pushes the paper in front of him. He brushes it aside, but before he can say another word, I take a step behind Bonnie and lean forward, shielding her with my body.
“What’s the problem?”
“The problem is this woman isn’t taking me seriously,” the blowhard snaps. “My fiancée has been kidnapped and the more that you sit on your donut ass, the farther away she gets.”
Bonnie tips her head toward me with a get a load of this guy look in her eyes.
“What’s her name and description?”
“Khloe Martins. She’s five foot six with blond hair, with not much of a rack and a fat ass. She could stand to lose a few pou—“
I punch him then. While the ex-boyfriend stumbles back and then collapses on his flat ass, Bonnie opens a report form on her computer.
“A request for maintenance?” I read on the top of the form.
“There’s obviously something wrong with the floor. That man tripped and fell. We can’t have hazards here in the police station,” she says innocently.
“Very true.” I give her shoulder a squeeze and then round the counter to go crouch by the still dazed ex. I dial up Khloe’s number. She answers right away.
“I’m at your house,” she says, panning the phone around my living room.
“I know. I put a tracker in your purse.”
“You what?” she screeches.
“Before we get into that, I wanted to ask if you know this guy?” I turn on the video and point the camera to the ex’s face.
“Oh my God, is that Derrick?”
“Is Derrick the ex?”
“Yes, but where are you and why is he on the floor and is that blood on his face?” She moves her head from side to side as if she can see more if she catches the right angle.
“H
e’s here at the station reporting a kidnapping of his fiancée.” I tap Derrick’s cheek and his eyelids flutter open. “He has blood on his face because I punched him.”
“The man tripped on a cracked tile and fell,” yells Bonnie. “There was no police violence here!”
“Did Dane punch someone?” says a woman sounding suspiciously like Connie.
“Let me see.”
There’s some shoving and all of a sudden Tina’s and Connie’s faces appear next to Khloe’s on the screen.
“Uh…” I’m at a loss for words.
Bonnie cackles. “Told you there were women at your place.”
“Is that your ex, Khloe?” asks Tina.
“Yeah.”
“Hit him for me,” yells Connie. “That bastard slept with her mom.”
“Her mom?” echoes Bonnie.
“Please don’t broadcast that everywhere,” Khloe groans.
“Honey, it’s not a reflection on you,” Tina says. “It shows what a bastard your ex is and what a bitch your mom is.”
“Yeah, this isn’t your fault. Would you tell an abused person they were at fault? No. It’s the abuser who’s in the wrong. You’re the victim,” Connie declares.
“She’s not the victim,” cries Derrick. “She wouldn’t ever put out and her mom came on to me. I was the victim.” He pounds his chest. “Me. It was me.”
I shut him up with another fist to his mouth. His head flops back onto the tile with a thud.
“Wow. It’s really fucked up in your office, Chief. Can’t believe a piece of tile flew up and struck that guy right in the mouth.” Connie shakes her head.
Tina clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “I’m going to call City Council tomorrow and ask that they allocate some funds for renovation. The police station is a danger in its present state. Bye now.”
They hang up on me. I run a hand through my hair. I’m glad Khloe is making friends with my people, but the three of them are a handful. Over my shoulder I hear Bonnie gasping for air.
“Sorry,” she says, waving a hand in front of her face. “Just knowing that you have to go home to those three and your mom is making my day.”